Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpinejs
Anyone have experience composting pine needles. I have a big pile of needles that
came from two pine trees since removed because of the mess they created. Some of the
needles are 15 yrs. old and haven't decomposed. I just added a whole pick-up load of
horse manure and we are adding kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, etc. in hopes that
it will help. They must ultimately decompose or my woods in Canada would be feet deep
in needles. I had a worm composting bin on my deck, but when I left last spring for
6 mos. in Canada, I put them in the needles. The summer here was VERY hot and we
get virtually no rain in the summer, so.......I only found about five worm survivors but
with the manure, coffee, eggshells, cardboard, etc., I think they will reproduce big time.
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My grandmother from North Carolina had 3 solutions for pine needles and before her my grandfather "Daddy Thellie" and another one too. Passed down over the generations in stories but not always practised.
1) bedding, but layed down VERY thick as they are not very absorbant.
2) Burned for the very rich ash.
3) a "permanent" mulch around the base of trees. (this is the most common use, makes for a very neat clean well manicured looking lawn with tidy circular borders around the trees that are pretty weed free)
4) plowed into the soil where a longer lasting organic material that doesn't want to break down fast can be of benefit in preventing hardpan.
I don't necessarily recommend any of these solutions. Everyone has its benefits and problems. In general needles were considered more of a problem than a benefit. I haven't personally had to tackle the problem myself since I did very little actual gardening or farming help on the North Carolina family farm, (a different branch of the family) just passing on some family info.